An Introduction To Buddhism For Westerners

[Bakuteh]

I have recently started reading a book, "The New Buddhism" (Oxford University Press; 2001; ISBN 0195131622) written by James Coleman who is a sociology professor at the California Polytechnic State University. "The New Buddhism" describes the recent evolution of Buddhist practice in the West and in its opening chapter encapsulates most aptly, the background and the various strands of Buddhism as practised in the West. It also gives the reader an overview of the basic tenets of the Buddhist spiritual tradition and I have found this introduction a great help to my understanding of Buddhism.

To share with my fellow TV members the more significant thoughts by the autghor, I am reproducing below the following excerpt from the book's first chapter:

For most Westerners, a mention of Buddhism is likely to bring to mind head-shaven monks in exotic robes, a kung <deleted> master dispensing wise sayings after vanquishing evildoers in a cloud of kicks and punches, or some other image of the mysterious and foreign. Some Western scholars have even questioned whether or not Buddhism is really a religion, since it doesn’t give the kind of attention to God (or gods) that many assume to be the sine qua non of all religious life.

Buddhism is certainly not a Western religion, but only the most ethnocentric observer could attend a Buddhist service, with its robed priests, its rituals, and its devoted followers, and fail to see the similarities with Western practice. From its very beginning the central goal of Buddhism was, nonetheless, radically different from that of the Western faiths. Instead of glorifying or praising a deity or seeking to live in accord with the divine will, the goal of Buddhism is personal awakening: even the gods bow to the enlightened one. Many Western mystics have trodden a path familiar to the Buddhist seekers. But mystics have always remained on the margins of the Western religious establishment; in Buddhism they are its core. The Buddha made no claim to be any kind of deity or to have some special message from God. He said he was simply someone who woke up and saw things as they are. His goal was not to teach a new creed or new way of life but to help those who gathered around him to see the truth for themselves.

The Buddha was, in other words, not a Buddhist. It was the institutional structures and traditions that grew up around Siddhartha Gautama’s teachings that made Buddhism into what we traditionally call a religion. As the German sociologist Max Weber pointed out, once any charismatic religious teacher dies, the message must be “routinized” if it is to continue. The inevitable result is a more formalized doctrine and some sort of institutional structure. The paradox, often evident in Asian Buddhism, is that those same structures too easily become an end in themselves, preserving the letter but not the spirit of the founder’s teachings.

What was the Buddha’s message? Spiritual seekers, scholars, and intellectuals have struggled over the question for centuries. Although it is relatively easy to describe what Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) said or at least what the surviving texts claim he said, the point was not to learn a set of doctrines but to experience the reality that underlies them. When they become an end in themselves, the fine words and the intellectual knowledge can actually become a barrier to true understanding.

The marrow of Buddhism is the actual experience of the awakened state, but the words that describe it can at least give us some clues if we don’t confuse the description of the food for the actual meal. Looking through awakened eyes, everything is a vast interdependent stream of changing phenomena. Things arise from an infinite chain of past causes and produce effects that have endless consequences. Everything is related to and dependent upon everything else. Nothing, including ourselves, has any independent being or unchanging essence. We are simply an ever changing stream of experience. In realizing this great truth, Siddhartha also saw the origins of human suffering in our deepest desires and attachments. We cling to one passing phenomenon after another and struggle endlessly to hold back the inevitable tides of change. We vainly strive to colonize our experience: to create an artificial world of safety and pleasure and to exclude the inevitable human experiences of pain and uncertainty. The Buddha was not however the life-denying pessimist that he is sometimes pictured to be, for he also saw the end of suffering through the cultivation of ethical behaviour, meditation and transcendent wisdom.

As Buddhism developed into an institutionalized religion, the struggle to wake up to those great truths fell primarily to the monks who gave up their everyday life and dedicated themselves to the pursuit of enlightenment. But of course everyone can’t be a monk, and it was left to lay Buddhists to lead ethical lives and provide the material support the monastics needed, so that in some future time (perhaps in a future life) they might have their own opportunity to realize enlightenment. Thus Buddhism came to be split into two institutional realms. The monastic elite continued Gautama’s quest for enlightenment, while new forms of mass Buddhism sprang up that were more concerned with earning an auspicious rebirth – usually by accumulating merit through good works, by faith or by chanting some magic formula. Although the Buddha never laid claim to any kind of divinity, the stories of his incredible abilities and accomplishment grew over the years, and he became an object of popular worship in many forms of Buddhism. In the Mahayana tradition, which became dominant in northern Asia, a retinue of godlike boddhisatvas (powerful beings who dedicated themselves to help others on the road to enlightened) joined the Buddha in the popular pantheon. In exchange for their material support, the priests and monks came to fulfill the same kind of functions for lay Buddhists that priests in other religions did. They officiated at ceremonies, gave advice and performed rituals.

Of course, the lay/monastic distinction was not quite as clear-cut as have been made above. Many lay Buddhists certainly attained deep realization, while many monks and priests, particularly during the periodic eras of institutional decline, showed little interest in following the arduous path to enlightenment that the Buddha laid out. But this division between the masses of laypeople and the monks and priests who at least in theory are following the path to enlightenment remains central to the Asian Buddhist tradition. Over the years, this elite group of men (and a few women) came to be vested with great prestige that set them off from their lay followers and made them the object of tremendous respect and authority.

May all who read this increase their understanding of the Buddha's teaching. Sadhu!

[Bakuteh]

Buddhism in the West – A Historical Overview

Just a century and a half ago Buddhism was virtually unknown in the West except to a few travelers and intellectuals. As Thomas Tweed has shown in his excellent study of the early American encounters with Buddhism, many of the American Christians who first heard about Buddhism were puzzled by how a religion with no God and no immortal soul attracted so many of te world’s people. But as time went by Buddhism gained a following among a small group of intellectuals who saw it as more tolerant, more rational alternative to Christianity and among some of the growing numbers of people interested in spiritualism and the supernatural. Much of this early interest was however stimulated by books and stories about Buddhism that were often of questionable accuracy.

The World Congress of Religion held in Chicago in 1893 is often credited with the introduction of the first traditional Buddhist denominations to North America. In actual fact however there were already a substantial number of Asian immigrants in North America who had brought various versions of popular Buddhism with them – even if they were too far removed from the cultural elites who attended such meetings to be given much attention. To this day the most obvious division in Western Buddhism is between the “ethnic Buddhism’ of Asian immigrants and the “new Buddhism” pursued by Western converts who interestingly enough are often the same kind of people as those who attended the World Congress of Religion back in 1893.

Faster and easier travel, virtually instant communication, and a growing tide of migration brought the East and the west inextricably closer together than ever before. As ethnic Buddhism became more common in the West it made numerous adaptations to its new environment but it nonetheless maintained its Asian traditions and outlook. Unlike the new Buddhism that has such a strong appeal to the sophisticated and the highly educated the other stream of Western Buddhism seeks to serve the needs of average people. Monks are few and far between and rituals and ceremonies abound. Its followers are mainly found in the ethnic enclaves of the big cities and among some of the more surburbanized descendants of earlier Asian immigrants. Ethnic Buddhism’s primary role is to minister to the social and spiritual needs of the Asian communities of the West, much as the Christian churches and Jewish synagogues serve their communities often providing a taste of the comfort and security of home in the process.

The first Buddhist tradition to make the leap to a Western audience was Japanese Zen. A Japanese Rinzai master Soyen Shaku spoke at the World Congress of Religion and the writings of his student D. T. Suzuki introduced paradoxical Zen thought to many fascinated Western intellectuals. By the 1950s most educated Westerners had at least heard of Zen Buddhism even though it continued to be seen as something hopelessly strange and exotic. During that era the young Bohemians of the “beat generation” took up Zen as a kind of intellectual talisman and challenge to the existing view of things. The next two decades saw something of a “Zen boom” when for the first time significant numbers of Westerners began actual Buddhist practice. By the time the first wave of enthusiasm had died down residential Zen centers had sprung up in most of the major urban areas of North America and Zen had firmly established itself as a religious presence in the West.

The headwaters of the second stream of the new Buddhism are in the remote Himalayan mountains of Tibet. For centuries Tibet was one of the most isolated countries on earth. But the Chinese conquest of the 1950s and the brutal repression that followed sparked a Tibetan diaspora that brought their culture and especially their religion onto the world stage. The first Tibetan teachers reached the West during the 1960s but they didn’t build much of an institutional presence for another decade. Fueled by a seemingly inexhaustible supply of charismatic Tibetans symbolized by the Dalai Lama with his combination of compassionate presence and political importance Tibetan Vajrayana has exploded on the Western Buddhist scene in the last two decades. Culturally the extroverted Tibetans could hardly have been more different from the proper Japanese. Zen monks wear robes of black and brown, decorate their temples with elegant simplicity and tend to display a measured emotional mien. Tibetan temples on the other hand are a riot of bright colours and exotic images. They commonly include paintings and sculptures depicting multi-armed gods engaging in fiery sexual intercourse and unlike the Japanese, the Tibetans do not hesitate to display passionate emotion.

The newest stream of Western Buddhism actually has the most ancient roots. Known in the West as Vipassana this style of practice derives from the Theravadan tradition predominant in the southern parts of Asia and most scholars would agree that it adheres more strictly to the Buddha’s original teachings than any of the world’s other Buddhist sects. One of the most important differences between Vipassana and the other traditions of the new Buddhism is as much as anything a matter of historical accident. The Zen and Tibetan traditions were carried to the West by Asian teachers but Vipassana teachings were brought back by Westerners who went to Thailand or Burma to seek them out. As a result the Vipassana style is the most secular and most Western and it has the lightest cultural baggage from the East. Many Vipassana teachers especially those on the West Coast are also heavily influenced by Western psychological thought and the therapeutic tradition it fostered.

Perched somewhere between the ethnic Buddhism of the Asian immigrants and these three streams of the new Buddhism lies a fascinating Japanese denomination known as the Soka Gakkai. The Soka Gakkai traces its origins back to Nichiren, the 13th century Japanese prophet who saw the Lotus Sutra (one of the great religious texts of Mahayana Buddhism) as the apex of Buddhist wisdom and predicted doom for Japan if it did not return to its veneration. The Sokka Gakkai was founded in 1930 as a lay affiliate of Nichiren Shoshu – one of the numerous Nichiren sects in Japan. Japan’s traumatic defeat in World War II led to the dizzying growth of new religions in the 1950s and 1960s – an era of Japanese history that has sometimes been dubbed “the rush hour of the gods”. It was during this period that Sokka Gakkai/Nichiren Soshu saw its most explosive growth becoming one of Japan’s largest faiths, the sponsor of a major political party, and winning many Western converts.

Because most of Sokka Gakkai’s members in the West are not Asians it would seem to qualify as an important part of the new Buddhism explored in this book. But unlike those groups Sokka Gakkai remains firmly rooted in mass rather than elite Buddhism. While other groups focus on meditation the repetition of a chant in praise of the Lotus Sutra (Nam Myoho Renge Kyo) is the central practice of the Sokka Gakkai. While other Western Buddhist groups tend to display indifference or even hostility toward the pursuit of material gain, Sokka Gakkai believes that diligent chanting produces wealth as well as personal happiness. Wheras most other groups believe that new members will come when they are ready, Sokka Gakkai has until fairly recently pursued an aggressive policy of proselytization known by a descriptive Japanese name (shakubuku) which translates as “break and subdue”. All in all Sokka Gakai’s practices and beliefs differ from the other Buddhist groups that appeal to Westerners in so many ways that a separate book would be required to do them justice.

[rychrde]

Sounds like a very good book. The spread of Buddhism to the West is certainly worthy of study. It seems like it has spread in the same way it has always done - primarily through the educated classes tired of their stale local religion. It did the same as it went through China and Japan.

I don't know if the book covers this, but the next stage is the westernization of Buddhism. Just as Zen became the Japanese expression of Buddhism and now looks very different to, say, Tibetan Vajrayana, so we may find a truly western incarnation. I don't know what this may look like, but I know already some very good masters who are teaching what they see as essential to experience enlightenment, slowly leaving out some of the cultural baggage.

For example, much of the chanting is still done in the original language, be that Japanese, Tibetan or whatever. However, that presents a barrier as one needs to learn it by rote. Not difficult, but the point of the chanting is often a verbal aid to the visualization. Not having it in one's own language thereby loses some of its power and benefit. However, many of the mantras are transmitted in their original language, often sanskrit or pali or even some strange language of the celestial beings! These will most probably remain as they are until someone has a vision and given a new mantra to spread.

there is also a precedent for westernized buddhism - not in doctrines but in art. What is now called Gandhara period is a fusion of Greek and Indian styles. Dating back to Alexander the Great and continued for many centuries. To western eyes these are some of the most beautiful buddhist images anywhere in the world. The flowing robes also have echoes in Mandalay period and even the Kamakura Buddha in Japan.

thanks for the text

rych

[Bakuteh]

The New Buddhism

All forms of Buddhism whether it is the new Western Buddhism, the ethnic Buddhism of the migrant enclaves or traditional Asian Buddhism, share a common quest: liberation from greed, hatred and delusion and the suffering they cause. Their paths to that goal, however, often take markedly different directions. As we have seen, in most forms of traditional Buddhism there is a sharp distinction between the lay people and the monks, nuns and priests. At least in theory, the members of those elite groups devote their lives to the quest for liberation sometimes through the kind of meditation the Buddha recommended for his followers, sometimes through strict moral discipline, sometimes through academic studies, sometimes through the single-minded performance of elaborate rituals. For the vast majority of traditional Buddhists however the quest for liberation takes a backseat to the demands of everyday life. The most those average Buddhists can hope for is to accumulate merit by good works or through the grace of a powerful Buddha or bodhisattva and someday win a better rebirth either in a paradise or in a life that offers them the chance to devote themselves to the Dharma (truth) and win enlightenment.

In the new Buddhism this fundamental distinction between monk and layperson is almost wiped away. Although some people live a more monastic lifestyle while others live as householders the pursuit of liberation is common to them all. The new Buddhism takes the path of liberation that was preserved and refined by countless generations of Asian monks and offers it up to anyone who is interested.

When Asian Buddhists visit the West, they are often confused by Western practitioners they meet. Not really monks but far more involved and dedicated than most laypeople, Western practitioners are hard to classify with the categories their teachers imported from the East. Many Western Buddhist centres have full-time residents who devote most of their time and energy to their Buddhist pursuits and some of the larger groups maintain isolated retreat facilities for more intensive practice. A few Westerners even shave their heads and take monastic vows, but they remain a distinct minority. And these Western monks never receive the kind of awe and respect that separates the Asian monks from the laity. To most Asians being a monk means being celibate but celibacy is a very hard sell in the midst of Western consumer culture. In Western eyes what was traditionally viewed as a great moral virtue often becomes a kind of pointless repression. Moreover the scarcity of isolated monasteries means that the monks are often in much closer contact with the outside world than their Asian counterparts. All in all the distinction between the monk and the layperson in the new Buddhism is a fuzzy one. Monks are not set off by an aura of holiness and reverence as they are in Asia. Although their Practice is usually more highly focused they are not really doing anything that isn’t common among the laity as well. In one sense everyone is a kind of monk and in another no one is.

If there is a single characteristic that defines the new Buddhism for most of its members it is the practice of meditation. The overwhelming majority of Western Buddhists rank meditation as their single most important activity and almost all of these new Buddhists try to carry on a regular meditation practice.

Despite the enormous cultural gulf the style of meditation practiced is directly derived from the practices and traditions of Asian monastics. Some practice exotic visualizations or working on the unanswerable riddles or koans but most of their meditation focuses on their breath – either counting breaths one by one or simply following them with close attention.

Most of the time members of these groups meditate at home often before a simple altar adorned perhaps with an incense burner, a statue of the Buddha or a painting of one of the numerous bodhisattvas who symbolize an important virtue or quality of mind. They also attend group meetings at Buddhist centres or in an ad hoc variety of rented halls and private homes. Although the focus is on meditation, members frequently chant together and perform other rituals and listen to talks from their teachers. These gatherings not only allow the members to encourage each other’s practice but they provide the opportunity for social bonding and community building.

In addition to their daily meditation, most of the Western Buddhists attend intensive meditation retreats. These retreats which usually range from half a day to a couple of weeks in length, offer participants the opportunity to expand and deepen their meditation practice. Each group and each lineage runs its retreats a little differently. Some are rigorous, tightly structured and highly demanding whereas others are more relaxed and easygoing. Nonetheless a common pattern is emerging among all these groups. For one thing the retreatants are usually expected to maintain silence whenever possible. Many participants report the odd feeling of having attended retreats with the same people over and over again, yet hardly ever having had much of a conversation with them. Retreatants usually rise early and devote long days to alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation. The retreats also provide the opportunity for closer contact with their teachers who give talks and private interviews to help the retreatants with their practice and with the powerful experiences that often occur during these periods of intense meditation. Many retreats also have work periods where the participants pitch in to help with all the physical demands created by any large gathering of people.

No other transformation is more critical to the creation of Western Buddhism than the way it is redefining gender. In traditional Asian culture, the world of the monastic elite is a male world. Although a few female orders have existed over the centuries they have always been separate and subordinate to male authority. Some traditional Buddhists have even questioned the ability of women to achieve enlightenment at all. In this view the best a woman can do is to gain merit through good works and by supporting male monastics, so that she can win rebirth as a man in her next life. Such extreme sexism is by no means universal but women have certainly played second fiddle in Asian Buddhism.

How different are things in the West? Western Buddhist groups have often imported the prejudices of their Asian teachers or assimilated the gender biases of their own culture. At the same time however there is clearly a powerful tide pushing the new Buddhism towards gender equality. While Eastern Buddhism picked up its cultural baggage from the ancient patriarchal traditions of Asia, the new Buddhism is taking shape in an age of feminism and a radical rethinking of gender that is rocking even the most staid denominations. Of course our society remains rife with sexism and patriarchal stereotypes but the kind of women and men (the women slightly outnumber the men in most Buddhist groups) who are attracted to Western Buddhism also tend to be the same kind of highly educated left-leaning people who are most likely to believe in gender equality. In almost all the centres in which control has passed from the hands of Asian teachers to their Western students, women and men practice together as equals, sharing the same roles and the same responsibilities in ways unheard of in most of Asia. Although virtually all Asian and a majority of Western teachers are male, there are a growing number of women in those top positions of respect and authority. Today no one is surprised to see women leading retreats, diving Dhamma talks, or running major Buddhist centres. On a more theological level no matter who occupies those positions of power, nearly all Western Buddhist groups recognize the full equality of the sexes and the ability of all persons of either gender to realize their true nature and attain enlightenment.

Of course we all know that our actual practice often fails to live up to our ideals and Western Buddhism is no exception. Many women continue to feel a sense of psychological alienation and sometimes social exclusion as well. The Asian teachers are male, the images of the Buddha are male, the leaders of most of the groups are male and some women complain that the practice itself is still male oriented. On the other hand a minority of women practitioners feel that discrimination against women is a serious problem in Western Buddhism and most feet that women have an equal chance with men to gain leadership positions in their own group.

The transformation of gender that is evolving in the new Buddhism is not however simply a matter of ending discrimination or of women joining a world that used to be reserved for the male Buddhist elite. As more women are becoming full and equal participants in Western Buddhism their presence is transforming the tradition itself. Numerous changes in attitudes and approaches reflect the experience of women’s culture as it mingles with that of their male counterparts and a new generation of women teachers is bringing a fresh perspective that attracts male and female students alike.

A broad-ranging eclecticism is another characteristic of the new Buddhism that is seldom seen in Asia. In many of the countries of southern Asia, the Theravadin tradition is so dominant that little thought or attention is given to other forms of Buddhism. The Tibetan Vajrayana encompasses a much broader variety of approaches but all of them are seen from a particular Vajrayana perspective and there is little knowledge of Zen or the other Buddhist developments of East Asia. Japan probably has more separate and distinct Buddhist sects than any other country but they tend in typical Japanese style to stick pretty much to themselves.

Ironically the real meeting place for the Buddhist traditions from throughout Asia has been in the West. Indeed the very idea that there is some common thread known as Buddhism that runs through all those traditions is a Western one. Although most of the teachers in new Buddhist groups try to follow one or another Asian tradition there is a unique willingness to utilize insights from other perspectives as well. It is not at all uncommon for teachers from two different traditions to lead a retreat together or for one teacher to give a dharma talk that not only quotes other Buddhist traditions but Christian, Muslims and contemporary psychologists as well. Moreover the important figures who have been active in the West are known to Buddhist teachers from all lineages and they are coming to form a distinct Western tradition all its own. The “beginner’s mind” described by Suzuki Roshi, the “crazy wisdom” of Trungpa Rinpoche or Jack Kornfield’s stories blending ancient wisdom and Western psychology are grist for the lectures and books of Western Buddhists from all traditions.

Not surprisingly the most perplexing problems faced by Western Buddhism revolve around those ubiquitous issues of sex and power. Time and again, emerging Buddhist groups have struggled with the contradiction between the almost unquestioned authority, power and prestige the Asian teachers enjoy in their own traditions and the Western notions of democracy and equality. When the Asians first arrived in the West they were given an exalted status among their followers and all the power and authority that accompanies it. But when those teachers abused their power or were succeeded by their Western students, the ideals of egalitarianism quickly reemerged. Today most Western Buddhist groups remain deeply ambivalent about the role and authority of their teachers.. On one level it is a clash between Asian traditions of collectivism and Western values of democracy and equality. But the problem goes deeper than a clash of cultures and is unlikely to be resolved by shedding the cultural baggage inherited from the East. The tremendous respect and admiration Western Buddhists have for their teachers is not just the result of Eastern cultural influence. The members of these groups want to see their teachers as truly enlightened beings whose depth of understanding and wisdom sets them far apart from ordinary people. And if those teachers are indeed enlightened it follows that they may make administrative decisions or carry on their personal relationships in ways that other people simply don’t understand.

The relationship between students and teachers is a little different in every group. But in general it seems that Western teachers still retain much of the enormous authority and prestige of their Asian predecessors but it is a provisional authority. Teachers whose personal or professional lives violate the expectations of their students often run into serious trouble. Most of the major Buddhist centres in the West have been rocked by some kind of scandal or schism in the last two decades. In some cases the teacher has been removed and replaced with someone else. Other cases have resulted in the creation of new administrative structures and new restraints on the power of the teacher or a mass exodus of the disaffected who go on to form their own group or just drop out. However these problems work themselves out, structures and traditions are evolving that define the limits of the teacher’s power and what to do when these limits are exceeded.

(Excerpt from “The New Buddhism” by James W Coleman) (To be continued)

Edited May 30, 2007 by Bakuteh

[camerata]

To most Asians being a monk means being celibate but celibacy is a very hard sell in the midst of Western consumer culture. In Western eyes what was traditionally viewed as a great moral virtue often becomes a kind of pointless repression.

After reading this, I think I'll stick with the old Buddhism. It may fit with Western consumer culture to throw out the practice of renunciation, but that will mean throwing out one of the key teachings of Buddhism.

[chutai]

Is it just me, but I found it all rather academically dry to read and, therefore, skimmed most of it ?

But , as a lapsed member, I did concentrate on the Soka Gakkai paragraph and found that sadly lacking in any real understanding. The chanting for material benefits is really only an expedient, as anyone whose more familiar with the sect will know. Much in the same way the The First Noble Truth is the first stage to realisation of dhukka as being unsatisfactory.

However, back to the general style of the book. As well intentioned as it may be, I think that personally I prefer reading about the components that make up the cake rather than just the icing - which can often be devisive.

There are many fine books written in each tradition from the heart and that give a much better perspective on the centrality of Buddhist thought and practice. Although I'm not a Theravadan exactly, I was very impressed by Aj Sumedho's, The Mind And The Way, for example. Written from wisdom and experience that seemed to draw the different elements into a consise understanding that transcends sectarian traditions, and is applicable to both monastics and lay people.

But maybe the style of "The New Buddhism" may appeal to some ?

[rychrde]

To most Asians being a monk means being celibate but celibacy is a very hard sell in the midst of Western consumer culture. In Western eyes what was traditionally viewed as a great moral virtue often becomes a kind of pointless repression.

After reading this, I think I'll stick with the old Buddhism. It may fit with Western consumer culture to throw out the practice of renunciation, but that will mean throwing out one of the key teachings of Buddhism.

I'd always thought monkhood in Buddhism was a temporary thing - one of life's experiences to further Buddhist understanding - and not a permanent state.

Two prevalent western attitudes towards monks: that becoming a monk is running away from reality; and then leaving a monastery as being something of a failure. Neither of these are true in Buddhism (they of course might be true for individuals).

Celibacy is merely a way to conserve energy and redirect it to more spiritual centres. having said that, tantric practices may include sex, but one still has to learn how to circulate that energy. So it is about what one does with the internal energy rather than whether one is using one's sexual organs or not. Depends in which direction one leans.

rych

[rychrde]

hi chutai, yes it looks like an academic book, so not exactly a 'teaching' resource. I don't mind that, sometimes history books are useful. I have read academic histories of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon and although they did not teach me any practices they were good to understand how both branches developed, and also why Bon is now very ittle different from Buddhism. Religions often like to romanticise their histories, sometimes good to get a different perspective.

rych

[sabaijai]

Rather than post long passages of texts from (possibly copyrighted) books, it might be better to post just a paragraph or two with a link.

Thank you.

[Bakuteh]

Rather than post long passages of texts from (possibly copyrighted) books, it might be better to post just a paragraph or two with a link.

Thank you.

In view of your advice on the wisdom of posting long passages from the book, I will discontinue doing so although only a small portion of the book offers profound insights on the current state of "Western Buddhism".

Members who are interested in finding out might want to purchase the book (see details in the first message posted) frm amazon.com or elsewhere. No links are available, Khun Sabaijai, and FYI the text was laboriously typed into word processing format by hand.

Thanks to all who have responded to the excerpts in this thread.

[sabaijai]

Rather than post long passages of texts from (possibly copyrighted) books, it might be better to post just a paragraph or two with a link.

Thank you.

In view of your advice on the wisdom of posting long passages from the book, I will discontinue doing so although only a small portion of the book offers profound insights on the current state of "Western Buddhism".

Members who are interested in finding out might want to purchase the book (see details in the first message posted) frm amazon.com or elsewhere. No links are available, Khun Sabaijai, and FYI the text was laboriously typed into word processing format by hand.

Thanks to all who have responded to the excerpts in this thread.

Thanks for the typing!

[Bakuteh]

The following review and interview with the book's author was posted on the net under the Atheism/Agnosticism section of the About.com website:

The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition

Reviewed by Austin Cline (http://atheism.about.com/od/bookreviews/fr/NewBuddhism.htm)

Buddhism has become very popular in the West over the past couple of decades, but to what degree has Buddhism been changing the West, and to what degree has Buddhism itself undergone change? According to William Coleman, Buddhism has changed a lot, yet nevertheless, it is fundamentally the same as it has always been. But how can this be?

Summary

Title: The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition

Author: James William Coleman

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: 0195152417

Book Review

Coleman, a practicing Buddhist for 15 years, has created an interesting and informative review of the nature of Buddhism in the West (meaning England and the United States). He bases his work on a wide study of research on modern Buddhism, structured interviews with Buddhist teachers and students, and surveys sent to seven Buddhist centers in North America (which together represent the three major traditions — Zen, Vipassana, and Tibetan).

[see link for complete review]

Author Interview : James William Coleman

Book : The New Buddhism

Source: http://atheism.about.com/library/books/cha...ColemanChat.htm

Below is a transcript of a conversation between James William Coleman and different members of our forum about Coleman's recent book "The New Buddhism." In it, he argues that while Buddhism has experienced major changes in coming to the West, it has nevertheless retained it's essential identity - and, more importantly, that it is having an effect on religion in the West.

The posts which were part of the original discussion have been edited and brought together to preserve a conversational flow and make it easier to read.

AC: I'm pleased to introduce James William Coleman, author of the recent book The New Buddhism. He has agreed to take time out of his schedule to talk to us about his book and his research into Buddhism in the United States. You can read my review of his book here - I highly recommend it.

Why don't you think that other religions from the Far East have had quite the impact on the West as Buddhism has had?

JWC: Buddhism has sometimes been called the "export" version of Hinduism. While that is kind of an over simplification, it is true that Buddhism was better able to shed it Indian cultural baggage and present something that has cross cultural appeal. Hinduism is almost exclusively in India and closely related cutures, Taoism is mainly in China and its cultural sisters, but Buddhism had already adopted to a variety of cultures before moving to the West.

AC: In your book, you described some of the influences which Western society has had on Buddhism in the West - for example, how women have greater involvement in the leadership of Buddhist communities here. But are have Western religions like Judaism or Christianity themselves had any identifiable influences on Buddhism?

JWC: Buddhism is quite different from the Western religions in that there is no creator God, and less of a feeling that they are the one true faith to which everyone must subscribe. But Buddhist teachers have freely borrowed from Christian and Islamic mystics who have followed a similar spiritual path. Buddhist have also copied many of the organizational structures used by the Western religions. But in many ways Western Buddhism has actually been more deeply influenced by Western psychology then Western religion, and some even claim that Budhism is more similar to psychotherapy then a religion in its focus on the causes of suffering and the way to end them.

[see link for complete interview]

Hope this will be useful to the ppl here who are interested in the book and who are contemplating a purchase.